


i am citrus (peel back my skin)

by indiebitch



Category: The Old Guard (Comics), The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Historical Inaccuracy, I tried my very best to be accurate but yknow things happen, Implied Sexual Content, Joe is just vibing while eating fruit, Light Angst, M/M, Mild Period-Typical Homophobia, Mild Period-Typical Racism, Pining, it's pretty much just all softness here, like super super mild, lots of discussions of Fruit, meanwhile Nicky is thirsting hardcore, the inherent romance of sharing fruit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:34:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25459414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/indiebitch/pseuds/indiebitch
Summary: The thing about Yusuf is that he doesn’t just eat fruit. He savors it.or Yusuf really likes fruit and Nicolo really likes Yusuf.
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 24
Kudos: 415





	i am citrus (peel back my skin)

**Author's Note:**

> cw for mild internalized homophobia, mild internalized racism, mild discussions of violence
> 
> title from peel my orange every morning by ezra furman

In the seventy-two years that he traveled with the other man, Nicolo had learned many things about Yusuf.

Since they both decided to stop killing each other, Nicolo learned Yusuf was an artisan and a merchant before he was a warrior. That he was intelligent, able to pick up languages much faster than himself. He learned that Yusuf loved to read poetry and whenever he came across a line that really struck him, he would sigh, clutching his heart, and then read it aloud to Nicolo. He knew that if they had time to themselves, Yusuf would spend that time sketching in that little notebook of his-- the one he refused to show to Nicolo no matter how many times he asked.

He learned that he loved Yusuf, and loved him more than he had ever loved anyone, even his own (now long-dead) family. For a while, that love scared him. After all, Nicolo had been taught to hate men like him. But the hate was easy to unlearn after all the times Nicolo had sliced him open. He learned they had the same blood, the same guts, the same bones. 

In the beginning, Nicolo hated Yusuf because he thought he was different than himself. When he learned that Yusuf was so much more than what he was taught, it was easy to fall in love. 

He also learned that if Nicolo were to ever die, his final cause of death would probably be Yusuf’s love--no, obsession-- with fruit.

Because after all that Nicolo had learned about the other man, he never learned how to tell him about his true feelings.

And the way Yusuf consumed fruit made those feelings bubble up in a very uncomfortable way that made it very hard to keep Nicolo’s love for the other man hidden.

The thing about Yusuf is that he doesn’t just eat fruit. He  _ savors _ it.

\--

For example, the first time Nicolo saw Yusuf eat an apricot, he was pretty sure his heart stopped.

It was about fifty-four years ago, and Nicolo was still grappling with the fact he loved the other man. Not only was Yusuf supposed to be his enemy, but he was also a  _ man. _ All his life he had been told that to lie with another man was a sin. But that was all he could think about.

Especially when Yusuf ate that goddamn apricot.

They were in a small village near Toshkent when they decided to settle in for the night. Yusuf went into town to pick up supplies because he was much better at bartering than Nicolo was. The man could charm anyone into giving him a good deal, and Nicolo couldn’t blame anyone who fell victim to that blinding smile. Nicolo would carve out his own heart with a dull knife and offer it to Yusuf just for a chance to see that impish grin one more time.

Nicolo had just finished setting up camp when Yusuf sauntered back, eager to show off his haul from the market. He plopped down near the fire Nicolo had just made and opened his bag.

“They had  _ apricots _ , Nicolo,” Yusuf exclaimed.

“I assume that’s a good thing?” Nicolo remarked.

“It’s a  _ great  _ thing, Nicolo,” Yusuf concluded happily.

He pulled out the fruit from his bag and showed Nicolo the prize.

“Look! It’s even ripe,” Yusuf explained.

The excited man tossed the apricot in the air a few times before pulling it to his nose. He closed his eyes as he took a big whiff like it had the most heavenly smell. Then, ever so carefully he wrapped his lips around the fruit and sunk his teeth into its flesh. He groaned at the taste, obviously enjoying it. When he pulled the fruit away for just a second, Nicolo saw that his lips and beard were wet with the juices of the apricot.

Nicolo did not blink once during this whole affair.

Suddenly, Yusuf reached into his robes and brought out the small knife he always carries with him. For a moment, Nicolo thought Yusuf caught him staring and was going to stab him for the offense. Nicolo might’ve welcomed it. A knife to his heart would’ve stopped its frantic, desperate beating, better than deep breaths ever could.

Instead, he did something much much worse. Nicolo’s eyes followed Yusuf’s clever hands as he carved off a small piece of the fruit. He held it out to Nicolo with those long fingers of his, offering it to him.

“Want some?” Yusuf suggested.

Nicolo stared at Yusuf's hand for a second too long before finally shaking his head no. Yusuf simply shrugged his broad shoulders and plopped the piece in his own mouth.

He carried on eating his prize in the most  _ sinful _ way possible as Nicolo tried desperately to stop thinking about licking the taste of apricot off the other man’s hands and lips.

\--

Since then, Nicolo had gathered that Yusuf encountered every fruit --except for quinces for some reason--with the same amount of enthusiasm. 

And every time, it was exquisite and delightful torture to Nicolo. 

They were settled in Badakhshan for the time being. The pair needed time to regain supplies before they continued their journey, so they stayed in a small house just outside of the main village. Yusuf took artisan jobs in town while Nicolo helped out the local farmers and herders. It was nice living side by side with Yusuf. He liked how easy they fit together, filling each other’s gaps without even asking.

Of course, Nicolo still kept his love for the other man to himself, afraid of upsetting the balance between them. It’s not that he thought that Yusuf would be angry or upset-- or God forbid, disgusted-- if he ever found out about how Nicolo had felt. As far as he knew, Yusuf had little issue with the idea of men loving other men. Nicolo recalled one such instance where he and Yusuf had stumbled upon two men kissing behind the inn they were staying at. Yusuf simply inclined his head at the other two men before dragging Nicolo away so they could continue their love affair. So, Nicolo had good reason to suspect Yusuf wouldn’t hate him if he ever found out.

What Nicolo truly feared was not Yusuf’s disgust; he feared his kindness. Because one of the most important things Nicolo learned about the other man was that he was so unbelievably kind. Nicolo had seen Yusuf weep over a dying bird, or go out of his way to console a crying child. Any instance where kindness was an option, Yusuf would choose it every time. It was one of the things that made it so easy to fall for the other man. But it also terrified him to no end.

He was afraid that if he ever did blurt out his feelings (and he had come close many  _ many _ times), that Yusuf would just smile gently, pat his back and tell him kindly he just didn’t feel that way towards Nicolo. He would tell him nothing had to change between the two of them, and give Nicolo the space to move on.

Nicolo thinks that if anything were to finally kill him, it would be that exact scenario.

There were times when Nicolo thought maybe, just maybe, Yusuf loved him back. Moments where his touch would linger, or when he caught Yusuf staring at him when he thought he wasn’t looking. But it was easy to write those off as Nicolo reading too much into those gestures. After all, why would some so bright and so warm as Yusuf love someone like Nicolo? Nicolo was the first one to kill the other man, and the last one to finally give up. He was part of the army that stormed the Holy Land that pillaged and plundered all in the name of God.

Nicolo deserved Yusuf’s hatred yet all he got was benevolence.

He figured his punishment was the agonizing temptation he felt as he watched Yusuf eat the orange in front of him.

They sat next to each other at their small table. Nicolo picked at the piece of bread in front of him, not really committing to eating it. Instead, he was much more focused on Yusuf’s hands as he carefully peeled his orange. With delicate care, he stuck his nail into the coarse exterior and pushed up slightly. When the rind gave way, he tore it to reveal the edible flesh inside. He pulled out a small piece and plopped it into his mouth. His eyes closed as he reveled in the taste of the orange.

Like always, Yusuf picked a slice of the orange and offered it to Nicolo. It always warmed his heart that Yusuf always offered him a piece of whatever he was eating. Instead of hoarding it all to himself, Yusuf was willing to share. It was just another way his generosity showed through.

Usually, Nicolo declined, finding the whole ordeal too overwhelming, but for some reason, this time something within him snapped.

He leaned forward and took the bit of fruit out of Yusuf's hands with his teeth. His lips briefly touched the other man’s fingertips, so when he pulled away, he still felt the tingle of touch upon them.

He chewed slowly, focusing on the tangy sweetness instead of the sudden heat of his cheeks.

“How does it taste?” Yusuf asked, voice a little hoarse.

“Sweet,” Nicolo concluded.

Yusuf let out a gentle chuckle.

“I forgot. You Italians only know of bitter oranges,” Yusuf remembered.

Nicolo just hummed. There was weird tension between them like the air just went stiff. It was like the world around them stopped to observe what would happen next.

He stared at Yusuf trying to not look at his lips, slightly shiny from eating the orange. Instead, he looked into his dark brown eyes full of intensity and warmth. 

“Did you--uh-- did you want some more?” Yusuf offered. His hand was outstretched with another slice of orange in his grasp.

Again, Nicolo leaned forward before he could even think of stopping himself and ate the fruit out of the other man’s hand. He noticed that Yusuf's eyes darkened as he watched Nicolo’s mouth, and a shiver went down his spine.

He chewed the fruit and swallowed it down. There was a sense of anticipation in the air between the two men, yet Nicolo was unsure of what he was expecting. 

He licked his lips, tasting the residual sweetness left behind, and Yusuf’s hands suddenly clenched around the remainder of the orange. 

“Fuck it,” Yusuf growled as slammed the remnants of fruit on the table before surging forward and crushing his lips against Nicolo’s.

For a second, Nicolo wasn’t sure what to do. The moment he had been daydreaming about for years was finally upon him and he was frozen.

Yusuf’s hand cupped his cheek, his thumb rubbing against the stubble, and Nicolo let out an embarrassing whimper. He felt Yusuf start to pull away when Nicolo’s brain finally caught up to the situation. He placed his hand on the nape of the other man’s neck and yanked him back toward his lips. Yusuf groaned and the vibration against his mouth felt like a shock.

Suddenly, he felt the need to be closer to the other man. He climbed into the other man’s lap with as much grace and dignity as he could muster, and Nicolo was glad to find that Yusuf welcomed him with open arms. His hands found their way to Nicolo’s hips and pulled him closer so there was no space between them.

He let out a gasp, and Yusuf used that as an opportunity to licked his way inside of Nicolo’s mouth. He moaned when he tasted sweetness as he tangled his tongue around the other man’s. 

Unfortunately, while the two men couldn’t die, they still had to breathe. When they came up for air, Nicolo leaned his forehead against Yusuf’s. He moved his hand to Yusuf’s face, petting the soft hair on his cheeks. Yusuf closed his eyes again and nuzzled his nose against Nicolo’s.

“Why didn’t we do this sooner?” Yusuf lamented.

“I thought you didn’t want to,” Nicolo admitted. He was still having trouble believing that this was actually happening.

Yusuf pulled away, looking incredulous.

“How could I not want to kiss you?” Yusuf interrogated. “Have you met yourself?”

Nicolo turned his head away, suddenly feeling bashful. He felt Yusuf’s hand find his chin and lift it so he was looking into the heat of his eyes once again.

Yusuf gently placed a kiss on his cheek. Then the other cheek. Then the corner of his mouth. Each kiss felt so light and full of affection, it made Nicolo want to cry.

“I dreamed of kissing you since I first looked into your eyes, ya Amar,” Yusuf confessed.

“Wasn’t that when I stabbed you the first time?”

“I’ll admit it was a rather confusing experience for me.”

Nicolo laughed and Yusuf smiled at the sound.

“Your eyes were so beautiful, like the sea during a storm,” Yusuf described. He leaned up and pressed a kiss to each of Nicolo’s eyelids. “They contained a depth of soul I’ve never seen before.”

“I am sorry for killing you,” Nicolo admitted, feeling a sudden weight at the thought that he ever hurt his now beloved.

“I am not,” Yusuf said finally.

Nicolo opened his eyes and furrowed his brows, confused by the words Yusuf had uttered.

“If you had not killed me, I would’ve not killed you. And neither of us would know of our gift,” Yusuf explained.

“I still hurt you.” Nicolo professed.

“And I you,” Yusuf reminded him. “Everything happens for a reason, amore mio. Violence brought us together; it's true...”

Yusuf brought his thumb up to rub at Nicolo’s bottom lip.

“But that is the past. I am much more interested in other things bringing us together now. Aren’t you?” his voice dripping with innuendo.

Nicolo surged forward and they were kissing once again.

“I love you,” Nicolo muttered. Over and over against the other man’s lips.

“I know, Nicolo. I feel it,” Yusuf murmured back. “I hope you know I love you too.”

He did. He felt it too.

\--

Later on, when the two lovers laid entangled with each other Nicolo finally asked,

“Do you do it on purpose?”

“What do you mean?” Yusuf asked, placing a kiss on Nicolo’s collar bone.

“The way you eat fruit…”

“What about it?”

“It is very… seductive,” Nicolo conceded.

Yusuf guffawed into the crook of Nicolo’s neck, and Nicolo fought not to smile at such a joyful sound.

“I just really like fruit!” Yusuf exclaimed.

“I can tell,” Nicolo bantered.

The other man bit his shoulder in retribution, and Nicolo just grinned.

He felt lighter than he had in years, now that he learned what it was like to be in the arms of his love, and he hoped that would never, ever change.

**Author's Note:**

> so listen... i really tried to be as historically accurate as possible but no matter how hard I tried google would not tell me what fruits were available in the middle east during the 1100s. it kept being like "oh you wanna know what fruits were available in europe" and i was like "no" and google was like "here are fruits that were in the europe in the 1100s <3"
> 
> thats that on eurocentric history records...
> 
> anyway i hope u enjoyed these soft dudes pining over fruit. as always kudos and comments make my heart burst w joy and if you have any comments, criticisms, compliments u can find me on tumblr @adelineflowerz
> 
> thanks for reading :D


End file.
